Foul Hooked

[Durand Dan]

Someone explain to me exactly what foul hooking a fish is. Watching the Classic I saw a couple of fish landed with lures hooked up on thier side way behind the gills. I thought for sure those were foul hooked fish.

[LAPORTE]

Maybe the foul hooked thing only is in Califorina I was thinking the same thing. That is until I watched the fish go into the live well. then I was just like Hmmm... Good question Dan

Don L

[McCarter]

they have to be hooked in the mouth when you are sight fishing.  obviously to prevent people from snagging them.  otherwise, as long as the fish makes it to the boat, it dont matter where its hooked.  i think it was randy howell who unintentionally snagged a bass in the tail while cranking dirty water in a tournament earlier this year or maybe last year.  he may have went on to win that one, i dont remember.  I know he won on Old Hickory but dont remember if it was the tournament where he snagged tha bass in the tail.

McCarter himself

[MBell]

The rules vary by state, a lot of those fish you saw weighed in would not have been legal in michigan sight fishing or not.  In michigan a fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be legal.  I think the bass rule pertains to sight fishing only.
-Matt 

[jgip087]

I agree that rules vary by state. Just read the fishing book for 2009 and it states in Michigan "Snag fish or retain a fish not hooked in the mouth" as being illegal. Retain is defined as to keep in possession or use. So weighing a fish hooked outside of the mouth in Michigan is 100% illegal and would mean disqualification for breaking state and local laws. California is another state where this law holds true.

[Team houston]

Is in the mouth and inside the mouth the same thing? Just asking.

[jgip087]

Nope. This means at least one hook on your lures must be inside the mouth, the hook cannot enter the outside of the mouth and end up inside. Ex) If you hook a fish on a tube through the outside of the mouth inwards it is illegal because the hook has to enter through the mouth and go outwards.

[markgoetsch]

To me in the mouth means inside or outside the mouth.  But I guess its an ethics call  I'll throw a fish back that's hooked in the tail or back but when you're throwing jerkbaits, cranks, and rattle traps fish just swipe at them and when they jump the hooks can get caught in other areas besides the mouth.  Basically its a grey area.

[Team houston]

I agree with that.

[Skip Johnson]

Its primarily a california thing, all fish must be hooked in the mouth regardless of sight fishing or not, becouse of that I hated throwing cranks in california while fishing a TX.

[Durand Dan]

I found this on the Alabama DNR site:
220-2-.115 Snagging or Snatching Fish on the Tennessee River
It shall be unlawful to take fish on the Tennessee River or its impoundments by pulling a single hook or group of hooks through the water (snagging or snatching), provided said hooks may be so used with bait and/or lures to entice fish to strike or bite such bait or lure. It shall further be unlawful to catch a fish on the Tennessee River or its impoundments by hooking the fish in any place other than the mouth or head. Any fish hooked other than in the mouth or head must immediately be returned to the water from where it came with the least possible harm.
So I guess a lure can be outside the mouth on the river in question

[fowlmouth]

Anyone notice how sneaky Ike was being about it ? Every foul hooked fish he caught he walked away from the camera, keeping his body between the camera and the fish until it was unhooked. Looks like a guilty conscience to me

[Durand Dan]

Anyone notice how sneaky Ike was being about it ? Every foul hooked fish he caught he walked away from the camera, keeping his body between the camera and the fish until it was unhooked. Looks like a guilty conscience to me

Yep, I noticed that!

[jgip087]

I noticed that to, I think the tournament was on the Coosa River, not the Tennessee tho. On this topic, I don't see this as a "grey area" as posted above. The law is clearly stated in the handbook. In is defined as "used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits" so in the mouth clearly means inside the mouth, not on, around, or outside the mouth.

[Durand Dan]

I noticed that to, I think the tournament was on the Coosa River, not the Tennessee tho. On this topic, I don't see this as a "grey area" as posted above. The law is clearly stated in the handbook. In is defined as "used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits" so in the mouth clearly means inside the mouth, not on, around, or outside the mouth.

The Coosa River is part of the Tennessee system and originates in Tennessee so it should be included in the regulation.

[jgip087]

Did not know they were one in the same. In that case I say those fish were not legal.

[Cheetam]

Didn't anyone see KVD haul one of his fish in the boat on Sunday with the hooks stuck in its back?  He said he caught a "couple" that way.  He wasn't shy about it like Ike...

[djkimmel]

I only know that is illegal for sure in Michigan. Must be hooked inside the mouth or throw it back. Not an easy thing to do in a small tournament. I can only guess at the pressure to do it in a really big event though I have seen a few of them do it over the years.

[MadWags]

If you tie chicken feathers on your hooks you will catch more fish and every one you catch will be considered fowl hooked.

[Durand Dan]

If you tie chicken feathers on your hooks you will catch more fish and every one you catch will be considered fowl hooked.

Here we go again! Are chicken feathers considered live bait?